A popular teething gel produced by the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide has been withdrawn from sale amid concerns babies could consume too much of the local anaesthetic lidocaine.
Deputy Director of Pharmacy Usha Ritchie says the withdrawal of the product is in line with international best practice.
"International and Australian medicines organisations warn against using the local anaesthetic lidocaine in products for infant teething," she said.
"As lidocaine is the active ingredient in the WCH Teething Gel, it will no longer be manufactured or available for sale.
"These recommendations take into account a small number of incidents overseas where infants and children have been harmed after consuming too much lidocaine."
Ms Ritchie said there had been a number of presentations at the hospital's emergency department linked to the consumption of too much teething gel, but no children in SA had suffered serious adverse effects.
She said families who used the gel in accordance with the instructions could be reassured they had not harmed their children.
Parents with teething infants were advised to use teething rings, a cold cloth to bite on or other safe items for babies to chew as an alternative.
